Nigerians into sex work, ‘runs’ to pay tax going forward – Oyedele

President Bola Tinubu’s tax czar, Taiwo Oyedele, says all Nigerians, including ladies engaging in prostitution popularly called “runs,” are mandated to pay tax per the new tax reforms set to be enforced in January 2026.

In the eyes of the new tax law, Mr Oyedele explained, there are no distinctions between legitimate income and illicit funds.

Mr Oyedele, who chairs the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policies and Reforms, on Saturday, educated members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, City of David parish in Lagos, on the reforms of the tax law signed by Mr Tinubu in June.

The administration, according to Mr Oyedele, will levy taxes on all services rendered in exchange for money, a rule he explained applies to sexual transactions.

“If somebody is doing run girls, they go and look for men to sleep with; you know that’s a service,” Mr Oyedele explained to the RCCG congregation. “They will pay tax on it.”

The tax czar further stated that the law itself does not have the capacity to distinguish between income obtained from legitimate means and illegitimate ones; hence, all income is deemed taxable.

“One thing about the tax law is it doesn’t separate whether what you’re doing is legitimate or not; it doesn’t even ask you. It just asks you whether you have an income. Did you get it from rendering a service or providing a good? You pay tax,” Mr Oyedele said.

For decades, the government has left the business of prostitution and other sexual transactions unchecked and untaxed, but Mr Tinubu’s administration appears willing to explore all available channels to generate revenue to buoy Nigeria’s ailing economy.

The New Tax Act will also target social media influencers and remote workers earning in foreign currency.